Trophy lakers, gigantic crappies and 60 pounds of bass

Surprise trophy

We set up over a hump in late afternoon, where Gord expected some nice walleye, jumbo perch, possibly good pike and maybe—just maybe—a trophy laker. Well, I’d only had my bait in the water for minutes when… wham! Some 20 minutes later the giant maw of this thick, heavy lake trout emerged form the hole. The bait: a well-used Rapala Jigging Shad Rap, tipped with a less-than-fresh minnow head (inset).